Clip for joining produce containers



Feb. 14, 1961 w. B. CRANE CLIP FOR JOINING PRODUCE CONTAINERS Filed July 18, 1958 INV EN TOR. M494 ram 5? Gen/vs w f gz United States Patent LI EFORIJOINING PRODUCE CONTAINERS Walton B. Crane, South Pasadena, Calif assignqr to Allied Plastics Company, 1L0s Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 18, 1958, Ser. No. 149,529 1 Claim. (Cl.,24-'-87) blank whichds foldedto .provide a. container of i generally rectangular configuration having parallel end and side walls and a bottom panel. In some cases, the container may also have a hingeable top panel. In use, the containers, after being filled with produce, are handled in units each consisting of a stacked pair of containers. During storage and shipment, in turn, several of these units are stacked one on top of the other in a series of vertical columns arranged side-by-side so as to form a container stack.

The pair of containers in each unit are joined by a set of wire couplers which serve to restrain the pair of containers against relative shifting during handling. These couplers also serve to interconnect adjacent container units in the several container columns of a container stack so as to prevent relative shifting of the containers in each column during storage and shipment.

It will be clear from what has just been said that the several containers in each of the several vertical columns of containers making up the container stack are restrained against relative shifting so as to provide each column with maximum stability. In order to provide the container stack, as a whole, with maximum stability, however, it is necessary to join adjacent container columns so as to prevent relative shifting of the latter.

A broad object of the present invention is the provision of a clip for joining containers of the character described to prevent relative shifting of the latter during storage and shipment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clip of the character described which is engageable over the couplers of container units of the character described and which is effective to position the couplers for proper engagement with other container units.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a clip of the character described which automatically locks itself to the containers so as to prevent accidental disengagement of the clip from the containers.

Yet a further object of the invention is the provision of a clip of the character described which is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise ideally suited to its intended function.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention may be best understood, from the following detailed description, as taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of two container units joined by the present clip;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a container unit illustrating the present clip prior to placement on the unit;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section showing the clip assembled on a pair of adjacent units;

2,9?LZ32 Patented Feb. 14, 1951 ice Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the clip; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the clip.

Referring now to these drawings, the produce container with which the present clip is intended to be used will be seen to comprise a generally rectangular structure including end walls 10, side Walls 12, and a bottom wall 14. The container also has a center dividing panel in. This container is made from a cardboard blank which is folded to the configuration shown. The end walls 10 of the container are formed by folding portions of the blank on themselves so as to provide each end wall 10 with a double panel construction consisting of an outer panel 10a and an inner panel 16b. The two panels are joined alongtheir upper edges as illustrated at 18.

As preliminarily mentioned, produce containers of this type are handled in stacked pairs or units, one such unit being shown in Fig. 2. The containers of the unit are joined by aset of wire couplers 20 which serve to prevent relative shiftingof the two containers.

As shown, each coupler 20 comprises a relatively slender rod or wire which is bent, as shown, to form a pair of flexible, divergent legs 21 which are welded 21'. The free ends of these legs are bent to form outwardly facing recesses 22 and reversed ends 24. In the assembled condition of the containers and couplers to form a container unit, the couplers extend between the panels 19a and 10b of the container end walls 10 and through slots 25 in the bottom walls 14 of the containers and in the upper connecting portions 18 of the end wall panels, as shown. These slots are formed by punching out the container blank, the punched out portions of the blank forming flaps 27 when the blanks are folded. The bottom panel of the lower container engages in the coupler recesses 22 and the reversed ends 2 3 engage the underside of the bottom panel. The curved connecting ends of the couplers project a distance above the uppermost container of the unit.

During storage and shipment, several of the illustrated units are stacked one on top of the other in a series of vertical columns which are arranged side-by-side to form a container stack. In each column of containers, the upper extending ends of the couplers 20 on a lower container unit are received in the lower slots 26 of the adjacent upper unit. The several units in each column are, thereby, effectively restrained against relative shifting.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the numeral 28 denotes the present clip which is designed to interconnect units in adjacent container columns in a container stack so as to prevent relative shifting of the columns during storage and shipment. Clip 28 comprises a rectangular metal blank which is folded along lines 30 to form a pair of divergent side flanges 32 and an interconnecting web portion 34. Web portion 34 has -.a central, generally rectangular opening 36. The longer sides of this opening lie along the fold lines 30. Integrally formed on the clip 23, along these two longer sides of the opening 36, are a series of pointed teeth 38. As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the teeth 38are bent up slightly from the plane of the web 34.

Projecting inwardly from the two shorter sides of the opening 36 are a pair of generally semi-circular tabs 40. These tabs 40 are disposed in the plane of the web 34. The arcuate edges of the tabs 40 intersect the shorter edges of the opening 36 in spaced relationship to the longer edges of the opening so as to define at opposite sides of each tab a pair of recesses 42.

In use, the clip 23 is inserted over the upper extending ends of the couplers 29 on two adjacent container units, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. The clip is then forced down over the adjacent end walls of the containers to engage the teeth 3% on the clip with the flaps 27 of the containers. When the clip is released,

the teeth 38 tend to bite into the flaps 27, due to the upward inclination of the teeth, and prevent upward movement of the clip from the containers.

In Figs. 1 and 5, it Will be observed that when the clip is assembled on the container, the tabs' -lii on the clip project between the extending ends of the couplers.

spective containers, the clip is pushed downwardly and its flanges 32 are squeezed together to move the teeth 38 apart and release the teeth from the container fiaps :27. The flaps are then squeezed toward one another while the clip is disengaged from the couplers.

It will be apparent that there has been described and a-illustrated a clip which is fully capable of attaining the Yobjects and advantages preliminarily set forth. the preferred embodiment ofthe invention has been dis- While closed for illustrative purposes, the invention is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claim.

I claim: ,v

A clip of the character described, comprising: a relatively rigid, channel-shaped-mernber including a web portion and flanges along two opposite side edges of said web portion, said web portion having a generally rectangular opening substantially paralleling the side edges of said web portion, at least one inwardly extending, pointed tooth along each longitudinal side edge of said opening, and an arcuate, inwardly extending tab at each end of said opening, the edges of said'tab's 'being' spaced from the side edges of said opening todefine a pair of recesses at opposite sides of each tab which open toward the opposite end of said opening.

References Cited in'the file of this patent 

